National Signing Day 2015: Top Uncommitted Recruits to Watch

As Ohio State held up the national championship trophy following the inaugural College Football Playoff, it was little wonder how it reached that mountaintop—the recruiting of coach Urban Meyer. 

Meyer’s 2013 class alone included critical championship contributors such as Ezekiel Elliott, Joey Bosa, J.T. Barrett, Vonn Bell, Jalin Marshall, Eli Apple, Dontre Wilson and Darron Lee, among others.

Meyer and the rest of the coaches across the country understand that effective recruiting is the lifeblood of college football and the only way to build a roster capable of winning national titles. The groundwork for future championships will be built on national signing day on Wednesday, Feb. 4.

While many of the nation’s top players have already pledged their talents to various schools, there are still some uncommitted “free agents”—if you will—whom fans should keep their eyes on. Here are a few.

Terry Beckner Jr., DT, East St. Louis, IL

Defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr. checks in as a 5-star recruit on 247Sports’ composite rankings and is considering the likes of Missouri, Ohio State, Auburn and Florida State.

Beckner may be 6’4” and 293 pounds, but he has incredible athleticism for a defensive tackle that jumps out right away when watching him play.

TJ Gaynor of Sporting News passed along his own glowing evaluation of that athleticism and playmaking ability:

"

One play. That's all it took. Watching Beckner Jr. sniff out a slow screen, deflect the ball out of mid-air to himself, then glide effortlessly to paydirt before delivering a nasty forearm shiver to the opposing QB all in one motion was all it took for this evaluator to see how special this powerhouse one-gap penetrator may become at the next level. This young man has been blessed with rare athletic gifts for a player of his size.

"

The scary thing about Beckner is the power behind that athleticism and speed. When he gets running downhill, he is nearly impossible to block and can stuff the running game up the middle with powerful hits.

Many defensive tackles are effective simply by occupying two blockers at once to open up the defensive ends on the pass rush, but Beckner is the rare talent who can occupy those two blockers and then break through them in one motion.

Credit: 247Sports

That type of raw skill translates well to the next level, and he already has the size to slide in to a defensive line rotation right away.

Missouri is the more local school among those interested and is the crystal ball leader in the clubhouse on his 247Sports profile. However, don’t underestimate the ability of Meyer to close on the recruiting trail or Auburn to swoop in as an SEC option that has won a national title within the past five years. 

The mere thought of Beckner and Bosa on the defensive line for the Buckeyes next year should be rather worrisome for the rest of the Big Ten.

Byron Cowart, DE, Seffner, FL

Byron Cowart is a 5-star defensive end on 247Sports’ composite rankings and is listed at 6’4” and 250 pounds. Florida, Alabama, Florida State, Auburn and Maryland are all among the schools interested in landing Cowart, but he appears to have narrowed the list to two schools, via Derek Tyson of ESPN.

"I would have to say, just to be honest, Auburn and Florida are my top two schools," Cowart said. "I have to keep it professional—I have to. Who knows, you see coaches and they go into the league, and when it’s time for you to get drafted, you don’t want to have a bad name."

That is great news for the Gators and Tigers.

It is often speed and pure athleticism that jumps out about defensive end prospects, especially at the high school level where faster players can simply blow past slower blockers around the edge. However, Cowart brings incredible power to the table, which helps him bull rush his way to the quarterback and levy a shattering hit when he gets there.

Don’t worry, the speed is there, too, especially for someone his size. That helps him chase ball-carriers down in the open field and make an impact against the running game when he is not pulverizing quarterbacks.

College offenses have been warned.

Iman Marshall, CB, Long Beach, CA

Iman Marshall is a 5-star cornerback on 247Sports’ composite rankings and checks in at 6’1” and 190 pounds. USC appears to be the heavy favorite, with Florida State just kind of hovering hoping for a late change of mind.

Ultimately, Marshall is choosing between staying close to home at USC and traveling across the country to play for Florida State. While that drastic of a move from home would be appealing to some college-aged children, Marshall has to decide for himself.

There is very little Marshall cannot do from the cornerback position. He spent much of his high school career playing on a man-to-man island, which is a critical skill at the next level that many corners are incapable of executing.

His athleticism and speed prevent him from getting burned on the fly route, and he has excellent ball skills when the pass is in the air. That could lead to some interceptions right away, especially when he uses his physicality to bracket the wide receiver and get to the pass first. 

Marshall also brings some versatility to the table and can return punts and kicks, which will likely help him see the field right away as a freshman, be it at USC or Florida State.

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